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Bike patrol in Malibu

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Malibu:

Rod Percival, 46, coasted his mountain bike down Las Flores Canyon Road, his dog Ayla skittering behind him. Like many residents, Percival and his wife had refused to leave Malibu. Late Tuesday morning, he used his trusty bike to take stock, as best as he could, of the fire danger.

A neighbor, Bruce Bolander, 43, asked Percival how things looked.

‘We’re safe. I’ve just ridden around the entire canyon,’ Percival responded. ‘The fire’s out.’

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Bolander asked his friend if he thought there was any way to sneak his wife Bonny passed the sheriff’s barricade. She was at Duke’s, a popular restaurant down on PCH.

‘Is she prepared to walk?’ Percival asked, not conveying much optimism.

Bolander muttered an expletive.

Percival himself wanted to go down to PCH, but knew that if he did so, he would not be let back in.

‘I need some beer. I’m out of beer,’ Percival joked. ‘This is terrible.’

High above Las Flores Canyon, at fire Camp 8, L.A. County Fire Capt. Jeff Kaliher said the situation in the still smoldering mountains of Malibu was improving. Firefighters below and aircraft in the sky had kept a critical front of the wildfire from marching toward Topanga Canyon.

‘We’re holding the eastern line,’ Kaliher said.

Things had improved to the point where his strike team could relax a little, roughhouse with the two camp dogs, picnic and lather up their fire engine. Planes surveyed the fire from above.

Kaliher had not been impressed with choices made by some Malibu residents. Some of the homes had terrible brush clearance, he said.

‘There’s some homes, the only reason they’re here is because engines were here to save them,’ Kaliher said.

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The fire captain said he was hopeful the Malibu fire could be contained soon. But he also knew, one way or another, his team’s job was far from done.

‘You’ve got San Diego. You’ve got Arrowhead,’ Kaliher said. ‘Once they determine we’re not needed here, we’ll be reassigned elsewhere.’

-- Tami Abdollah

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